This invention relates to a device for generating a continuous unidirectional force and, if desired, repetitive impact forces in the same direction as the continuous force, and deals more particularly with such a device which is purely mechanical in nature and may be driven by a source of rotary power such as an electric motor.
A device which can produce a unidirectional continuous force on itself has many conceivable applications, yet the only well known devices for generating such forces are rocket engines which have serious limitations for some applications. For example, it is difficult to turn rockets on and off or to otherwise modulate the strength of the generated forces and they require the burning of fuels or compression of gases which may be undesirable in some circumstances.
The general object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a device which produces a unidirectional force upon itself, much like the force generated by a rocket, and which uses a purely mechanical means for the force generation which means may be easily controlled to turn on or off or vary the strength of the generated force.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the forgoing character which may be constructed so as to also produce, in addition to a continuous unidirectional force, a repetitive series of impact forces superimposed on the continuous force as may, for example, be desirable when using the device as a pile driver or demolition device.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which is made up of a number of substantially identical single units which work in pairs to produce a continuous force and which may be grouped in a number of pairs working in different phases relative to one another to provide a more steady output force.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
The apparatus of the invention uses a number of centrifugal force generating devices of the weighted endless belt type shown and described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,431.